Combined converter and drive disengaging means for suction cleaners



2,714,220 SENGAGING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 Aug. 2, 1955 N. c. cuDDEBAcK 2,714,220

COMBINED CONVERTER AND DRIVE DISENGGING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 28, 1949 INVENTOH. /Velso/z/ 'ualdeaa BY M llTORNEYV..

Aug. 2, 1955 N. c. CUDDEBACK 2,714,220

COMBINED CONVERTER AND DRIVE DISENCACINC MEANS FCR suCTICN CLEANERS Filed Sept. 28, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VEN TOR. falsa/z C; 'aadebc/t A ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O COMBINED CONVERTER AND DRIVE DISEN- GAGING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Nelson C. Cuddeback, Chicago Heights, Ill., assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 28, 1949, Serial No. 118,329

15 Claims. (Cl. 15-332) This invention relates to suction cleaners and more par'- ticularly to a converter for attachment to suction cleaners to disconnect the surface agitation means.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved converter for a suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a converter for disengaging the driving connection between the surface agitating means and the drive means in a suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a converter having exterior means to disengage the driving connection between the surface agitating means and drive means in a suction cleaner. A further object is to provide a converter for supporting a disconnected driving belt out of the air stream owing in the converter when the latter is attached to the suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a converter for supporting a disconnected belt the latter urging a latch into locked position to hold the converter attached to the suction cleaner. Still another object is to provide a converter which supports the driving belt out of the path of the converter when the latter is being attached to the suction cleaner. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view partly in section showing one embodiment of the converter attached to a suction cleaner;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the converter engaged with the belt prior to removing the latter from the belt pulley; and

Figure 3 is an elevational view partly in section of another embodiment of the converter attached to a suction cleaner.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures l and 2 comprises a suction cleaner having a body 10 provided with a nozzle 11, fan chamber 12 and a motor housing 13, the body being supported on front and rear wheels 14 and 15 respectively. A handle 16 is pivotally mounted on the body and supports an unshown lter bag connected at its lower end to the fan chamber outlet 17. A handle control device indicated generally at 18 maintains the handle 16 in its different positions with respect to the body 10. The nozzle 11 has a front wall 19 and a rear wall 20 forming a suction air passageway 21 extending from the nozzle mouth 22 to the fan eye 23 of the fan chamber 12. Mounted in the motor housing 13 is an unshown motor for driving a fan 24 and the motor shaft has a pulley 25 projecting through the fan eye 23 into the suction air passageway 21. A surface agitating member 30 is movably mounted in the nozzle 11 and is rotated by a belt 31 connected to the motor pulley 25. A belt guard 32 spans the nozzle mouth 22 to prevent the belt 31 from contacting the iloor covering being cleaned. In the nozzle front wall 19 opposite the fan eye 23 is an opening 26 which is closed by an unshown cover when the nozzle mouth 22 is used for cleaning oor coverings.

The foregoing structure is employed when it is desired to clean oor coverings, for example rugs, by the agitator 30 which is rotated by the belt 31 connected to the pulley Patented Aug. 2, 1955 25. The dirt removed by the agitator 30 and the suction air stream is carried through the suction air passageway 21 into the fan chamber 12 and discharged into the unshown bag which removes the dirt from the dirt-laden air stream.

In order to disconnect the surface agitating member 30 so that the suction cleaner can be employed to clean by air, a converter has been provided. The converter cornprises a tubular member 36 having a central portion 37 and opposite end portions 38 and 39, the latter receiving an unshown hose to which a nozzle is attached for contacting the surfaces to be cleaned. The inner end 38 has an annular ange 40 and a reduced portion 41 which is adapted to lit within the fan eye 23 While the iiange 40 abuts the nozzle rear Wall 20 as shown in Figure 1. A locating lug 42 is formed on the tubular member 36 for reception in a slot 43 in the nozzle front wall 19 to guide the reduced end 41 into the fan eye 23.

Formed integrally on the tubular member 36 is a U. shapedbracket 45 having Side walls 46-46 between which a latch lever 47 is pivotally mounted on a pin 48. An elongated opening 49 is provided in the latch 47 and receives a pin 50 mounted in the side walls of the bracket, the opening 49 permitting pivotal movement of the latch 47. Disposed about the pivot point 48 is a torsion spring 51 which at all times urges the latch 47 to turn clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1, to its locked position, whereby a cam surface 52 on the latch engages a recessed shoulder 53 on the nozzle front wall 19 to hold the tubular member 36 attached to the cleaner body.

Provided at the inner end of the U-shaped bracket 45 is a hook 55 for disconnecting the belt from the pulleyy 25 and for holding the belt attached to the converter while the latter is connected to the suction cleaner. The hook 55 is attached to the tubular member 36 by the pin 48.

In order to attach the converter to the suction cleaner the unshown cover is removed from the opening 26 and the operator places the hook 55 under the forward span 56 of the belt 31 as shown in Figure 2. The converter is then lifted over the pulley 25 removing the belt therefrom and retaining the belt on the hook 55. The locating lug 42 is inserted in the slot 43 and the converter is pushed through the suction air passageway 21 to the position shown in Figure 1 wherein the reduced end 41 seats in the fan eye 23 and the shoulder 40 abuts the nozzle rear wall 20. Spring 51 moves the latch lever 47 and thus the cam face 52 against the recessed shoulder 53 to latch the converter in operative position.

When the converter is in operative position the hook 55 holds the belt 31 attached to the converter and supports the belt in the suction air passageway. It is impossible to remove the belt 31 from the hook 55 when the converter is attached to the suction cleaner due to the extreme end 57 of the hook abutting the nozzle rear wall 20 as shown in Figure 1. The tension on the belt is reduced when supported by the hook 55 since the latter is disposed toward the agitator 30 below the exterior of the converter. The converter completely cuts ofi the nozzle mouth 22 and causes all the air to pass through the tubular member 36 into the fan chamber 12. Suitable tools can be attached to the outer end 39 of the tubular member 36 for cleaning purposes.

When it is desired to convert the cleaner to employ the agitator 30, the latch lever 47 is moved counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 1 to disengage the cam surface 52 from the recessed shoulder 53. The converter is then moved out of the fan eye 23 and the hook 55 is lifted upwardly and passed over the pulley 25 to deposit the belt thereon. The converter is then removed from the suction air passageway 21 through the opening 26, and the unshown cover is attached to the cleaner body to close the opening 26 whereby the agitator can be used for cleaning purposes.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 3 and comprises a suction cleaner similar to that previously described but employs a modified converter.

The converter includes a tubular member having an outer end 61 and an inner end 62 provided with a shoulder 63 to contact the nozzle rear wall 20. A latch lever 65 is pivotally mounted on a pin 66 supported in a U-shaped bracket 67 forming a part of the tubular member 60. An elongated slot 68 in the lever 65 receives a pin 69 mounted on the bracket 67 to limit pivotal movement of the latch. A torsion spring 70 at all times urges the latch lever 65 to move in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, to place a cam surface 71 in locking engagement with a recessed shoulder 53 on the nozzle front wall 19.

The present converter diiers from the one previously described in being provided with a belt hook 75 formed on the latch lever 65. The hook has a pointed outer end 76 from which extends an inclined surface 77 to the lower end 78 of the hook in which a belt 80, when detached from the pulley 25, is held attached to the converter. The hook portion 78 which finally receives the detached belt 80 is located to the right of the pivot 66 of the latch lever 65, so that tension in the belt urges the latch lever 65 in a clockwise direction to its converter locking position as viewed in Figure 3. When the latch lever 65 is in the position shown in Figure 3, the distance between the end 81 of the U-shaped bracket 67 and the inclined face 77 is smaller than the diameter of the belt 80 to prevent removal of the latter from the converter.

In order to connect the converter to the fan eye 23 the latch lever 65 is moved toward the tubular member 60 to space the point 76 of the hook a greater distance from the point 81 of the bracket for passage of the belt 80 therebetween. The point 76 of the hook 75 is then placed under the leading belt strand, as in the previous embodiment, and the hook is lifted to pass over the pulley 25 whereby the detached belt slides down the inclined surface 77 to the lowest portion 78 of the hook.

The converter is then inserted in the fan eye 23 and the latch lever 65 released permitting the spring 70 to rotate the lever to its locked position, and the tension of the belt assists in urging the latch to its locked position. In addition, the tension in the belt, and the torsion spring 70 move the hook 75 to its closed position to reduce the space between the inclined hook face 77 and the end 81 of the U-shaped bracket 67 to prevent removal of the belt from the converter.

When it is desired to remove the converter the lever 65 is moved toward the tubular member 60 and causes the cam 71 to clear the recessed shoulder 53 permitting the converter to be removed from the fan eye 23. Thereafter the converter is lifted and the hook 75 is passed over the pulley 25 to deposit the belt thereon, and the converter is then removed from the suction air passageway through the opening 26, and the unshown cover is attached to the cleaner body whereby the agitator 30 can be employed for cleaning purposes.

I claim:

1. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, belt supporting means on said tubular means for holding said disconnected belt out of the path of movement of said converter when the latter is bodily displaced for said arrangement with respect to said cleaner port, and means on the suction cleaner cooperating with said belt supporting means to prevent removal of said belt from said belt supporting means.

2. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and latch means movably mounted on the exterior of said tubular means and cooperating with a portion of the suction cleaner for attaching said converter to the cleaner, and belt supporting means exteriorly of said tubular means and forming part of said latch means for holding said disconnected belt while said tubular means is arranged with respect to said port.

3. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, latch means pivotally mounted on said tubular means and cooperating with the cleaner for attaching said converter to the cleaner, and belt supporting means for holding said belt when disconnected from said drive means, said belt supporting means arranged with respect to the pivotal axis of said latch means to employ the tension of said disconnected belt to urge said pivoted latch means to its locked position.

4. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, drive means having a shaft extending through said port, movably mounted surface agitating means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and shaft and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port and thus said suction creating means for conveying an air stream thereto when said belt is disconnected from said shaft, said tubular means defining an annular solid wall receiving said shaft therein when so arranged with said port, and belt supporting means on said tubular means exteriorly of the latter for engaging said disconnected belt, said belt supporting means 'holding said disconnected belt out of the air stream in said tubular means upon arrangement of the latter in air conducting relation with said port.

5. ln combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter; of a converter comprising tubular means adapted to be bodily displaced into air conducting relation with said port when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and belt supporting means on said tubular means for holding said disconnected belt out of the path of movement of said converter when the latter is bodily displaced into said air conducting relation with respect to said cleaner port.

6. In combination with a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt connecting said surface agitating means and drive means and detachable from the latter to render said surface agitating means inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said portand thus said suction.

creating means for conveying an air stream thereto when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and belt supporting means mounted on said tubular means and extending from said tubular means between said drive means and said surface agitating means when said converter is arranged with respect to said cleaner port whereby said belt supporting means is disposed between said drive means and surface agitating means to hold said belt in non-stretched condition in comparison to the belt condition when attached to said drive means.

7. In combination with a suction cleaner having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and hook means mounted on saidv tubular means exteriorly of the latter for engaging said belt to remove it from said drive means, said hook means holding said disconnected belt exteriorly of said tubular means out of the path of movement of said tubular means when the latter is bodily displaced into said arrangement with respect to said cleaner port.

8. In combination with a suction cleaner having suction creating means, a port communicatingv with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt connecting said surface agitating means and drive means and detachable from the latter to render said surface agitating means inoperative; of a converter comprising tubular means having means adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port and thus said suction creating means for conveying an air stream thereto when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and hook means on said tubular means for engaging said belt to remove it from said drive means, said hook means holding said disconnected belt when said tubular means is connected to said cleaner port, said hook means extending between said drive means and surface agitating means to hold said belt in non-stretched condition in comparison to the belt condition when attached to said drive means.

9. A dusting tool converter for suction cleaners having suction creating means, a port communicating with the suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between the surface agitating means and drive means; comprising a conduit for carrying an air stream to the suction creating means, belt supporting means on said conduit exteriorly of and beyond the periphery of the latter for insertion through the port to remove the belt from the drive means for rendering the surface agitating means inoperative, said conduit with the removed belt supported on said belt supporting means thereafter bodily displaced for connection with the suction creating means with the belt out of the air stream in said conduit.

l0. In a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a surface cleaning nozzle, an air passageway between said suction creating means and said nozzle, surface agitating means movably mounted in said nozzle, drive means in said air passageway, a belt in said air passageway connecting said agitating means and said drive means and detachable from the latter to render said agitating means inoperative, an opening in said air passageway for access to said belt and suction creating means; of a tubular converter of less cross-sectional area than said opening adapted to be inserted through said opening into air conducting relation with said suction creating means, hook means on said converter and projecting exteriorly therefrom for passage through said opening into said air passageway to remove said belt from said drive means prior to insertion of said converter through said opening, said opening being of such size for passage therethrough of said projecting hook means with said disconnected belt and said converter into said air passageway for connecting said converted with the source of suction, and said hook means supporting said disconnected belt out of the air stream in said converter when the latter is connected with the source of suction.

11. In a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative;- of a converter comprising valveless tubular means provided with an opening adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port and thus said suction creating means for conveying an air stream thereto when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and hook means on said tubular means projecting completely exteriorly therefrom for supporting said disconnected belt, said projecting hook means supporting said disconnected belt exteriorly of said tubular means when said opening is arranged in said air conducting relation with said port.

12. In a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port communicating with said suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between said surface agitating means and drive means and detachably connected with the latter to render said surface agitating means operative and inoperative; of a converter comprising valveless tubular means provided with an opening adapted to be arranged in air conducting relation with said port and thus said suction creating means for conveying an air stream thereto when said belt is disconnected from said drive means, and hook means on said tubular means projecting exteriorly thereof for insertion through said port to grasp* said belt for removing the latter from said drive means, said hook means supporting said disconnected belt exteriorly of said tubular means while bodily displacing said converter to arrange said opening in said air conducting relation with said port.

13. In a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a port for insertion of a converter into communication with the suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, a belt between said surface creating means and drive means and interposed between said suction creating means and said port to prevent insertion of the converter; of a converter having an unbroken tubular wall provided with an opening adapted to be inserted through said port into communication with said suction creating means, and hook means mounted on said converter for insertion through said port to disconnect said belt from said drive means and shift said belt to a non-obstructing position to one side of the path traversed by said converter while bodily displacing said converter through said port to arrange said opening in communication with said suction creating means, and means for attaching the converter to the cleaner.

14. A dusting tool converter for suction cleaners having a suction creating means, a port for insertion of the converter into communication with the suction creating means, movably mounted surface agitating means, drive means, and a belt between the surface agitating means and drive means; comprising a conduit having an unbroken wall provided with an opening for carrying an air stream therethrough to the source of suction creating means, belt disengaging means arranged on and completely exterior of said conduit for insertion through the port to remove the belt from the drive means prior to connection of said converter with the suction creating means, said conduit with the removed belt supported 7 solely thereon thereafter adapted to be connected with the suction creating means, said belt disengaging means positioning said removed belt exteriorly of said conduit out of the air stream in said conduit.

15. In a suction cleaner of the type having suction creating means, a surface cleaning nozzle, an air passageway between said suction creating means and said nozzle, surface agitating means movably mounted in said nozzle, drive means in said air passageway, a belt in said air passageway connecting said agitating means and said drive means and detachable from the latter to render said agitating means inoperative, an opening in said air passageway for access to said belt and suction creating means; of a tubular converter of less cross-sectional area than said opening adapted to be inserted through said opening into air conducting relation with said suction creating means, hook means on said converter for re- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,340,347 Severance Feb. 1, 1944 2,449,997 Hann Sept. 28, 1948 2,482,337 Hann Sept. 20, 1949 2,548,632 Stent Apr. 10, 1951 

